What a dignified and eloquent soul Nelson Mandela was. What a loss. What an international loss. I hope even the die-hard racists in America look this man and his actions in the eye and try to understand the example he has set for them and the world and lose some of that fear. Goodbye, Madiba, and thank you so much from every single one of us whether we know it or not.

Grant D. Cyrus, Boulder

This letter was published in the Dec. 7 edition.

History is on the side of freedom fighters. God bless Nelson Mandela. May he rest in peace.

Tommy Holeman, Niwot

This letter was published in the Dec. 7 edition.

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A post that has no meaning or context except to shill more tired old anti-gun rhetoric in the form of a link to an article from the “Fox News of the left” MSNBC. Excuse me while I yawn.

Dano2

There is meaning, you just have to think about it. Sorry that you had to make up stuff to make yourself feel better!

Best,

D

Papa Smurf

There are quite a few folks on this board who don’t want to hear about the possibility of people having to free themselves from an over-reaching, oppressive government, or who openly ridicule the notion. It can’t possibly happen here. Can it?

Dano2

Many on this board amuse themselves at the thought of people actually believing that Billy Bob is resisting an Apache or Warthog with his assault rifle or Glock he paid 900.00 for.

Nevertheless, moving all your money upward to a few private accounts offshore, slowly, seems a good way to go, don’t you think?

Best,

D

andyandy

You’re planning to overthrow the government, and institute you own government-by-smurf?

Somebody should take your guns away. Anybody who thinks they’ll take on the US military with their peashooters is mentally ill.

What, specifically, can “happen here?” Which paranoid delusion do you adhere to, and who are you planning to shoot, in your worst-case scenario?

I know this is supposed to be about Mandela, but I believe in calling crazy crazy.

Papa Smurf

I’m not planning to shoot anyone. And as for, “What specifically can ‘happen here’?” I dunno… how about a president unilaterally, and materially, changing the terms of an existing law that was duly enacted by Congress and that he, himself, signed into law? Of course, I’m speaking of Obama’s delay of the “employer mandate” found in the ACA. The LAW specified a date certain for the implementation of this mandate, and the president arbitrarily, and without any authority whatsoever, put it off for a year. This is an act that violates the separation of powers that is at the heart of the Constitutional system of checks and balances. If he felt that it was necessary to postpone this provision, the president was obligated to take his concerns to Congress and seek a proper amendment to the existing law. Now, is this reason to take up arms? Of course not. But it is a good example of how an over-reaching chief executive who fancies himself to be sovereign can begin a process that ends in a government with no regard for the Constitutional safeguards that were so carefully put in place. That’s how it usually starts.
As for your observation that “somebody should take (my) guns away,” why don’t you pull on your big-boy britches and give it a try.

guest

What made Mandela great was that after 20 plus years in prison for treason against the apartheid government, he was released and then elected president. As president rather than take vengeance or even play favorites, he became president of all the people of South Africa both black and white. His example stands as a beacon to the world and the world is a better place for him.

andyandy

Well said!

peterpi

Well said, indeed.
I think it was South African president De Klerk who released Mandela from prison. I’m sure I’m simplifying, but the two then sat down, had hard negotiations, and created a framework for abandoning the apartheid government. Once Mandela became president, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission was created to hear allegations against people and people’s confessions of wrongdoing. The emphasis was not on retribution, not necessarily even on punishment, but getting the whole story out about the apartheid government for all to see.
By throwing everything into the open light, by bringing sunlight into dark corners, the cycle of vengeance, reprisal, counter-attack, new reprisal, etc., was mostly avoided.

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